At a Glance
A large Queens high school with three screened institutes, sprawling extracurriculars, and a deeply involved — if quiet — parent body
Best suited for
Families seeking a specialized STEM or law/humanities track within a large public high school, comfortable with a longer commute and a more institutional setting. A good fit for kids who've self-selected toward rigorous coursework and who'll take advantage of the deep extracurricular menu.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Three screened academic institutes (Science Research, Engineering & Robotics, Law & Humanities) with competitive admission
- Program richness score of 100/100 — one of the deepest extracurricular catalogs in the district
- Zero suspensions — among the safest discipline climates in the area
- Strong parent-principal relationship (97% trust)
- Rare offerings like American Sign Language, Mock Trial & Moot Court, and an Anime club
Things to consider
- Teacher-principal trust sits at just 61% — a notable gap compared to family trust scores
- PTA fundraising totaled $0 per student last year versus the district's ~$96/student average, suggesting limited parent financial bandwidth for extras
- Parent survey response rate was only 12%, so satisfaction numbers reflect a self-selected group
- No nearby subway means commute planning is essential for students from outside the neighborhood
- Average class size of 25.5 matches the district — don't expect unusually small sections
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 26
Martin Van Buren sits among the larger screened high schools in District 26, drawing from a much wider geography than the district's top-ranked elementary peers (Douglaston, Crocheron, Oakland Gardens), which overwhelmingly serve walk-zone families. While those K–5 schools earn 90–94/100 scores from local families, Van Buren's appeal is program-based rather than neighborhood-based — it's a district-wide destination for families seeking STEM or law/humanities pathways.
Academics
Specific ELA and math proficiency rates weren't provided for this school, so direct academic comparison to the district's 75–80% averages isn't possible from this data. What stands out instead is the academic structure: students apply to one of three screened institutes — a STEM research track (17% offer rate), a STEM engineering and robotics track (25% offer rate), or a law and humanities track (33% offer rate) — meaning the kids who land here have already self-selected for a more rigorous course of study. AP courses are offered, along with ELL support for the sizable share of students who need it.
Culture
The day-to-day feel here leans positive, though with some mixed signals among staff. Parents give the principal a 97% trust rating and report 88% satisfaction — strong, though slightly below the district average of 92%. Teachers rate instructional quality at 89%, essentially matching the district's 90%. The notable gap is teacher-principal trust at 61%, which suggests the staff-administration relationship isn't as warm as the family-administration one. Zero suspensions is a genuinely positive indicator, well below the district's already low 0.1% rate — discipline doesn't appear to be a daily issue at this school.
Community
The student body is majority Black (39%) and Asian (31%), with Hispanic students making up 19% — a notably different mix from the surrounding Bellerose neighborhood, which is predominantly middle-income and homeowner-heavy. The school's 75% diversity index reflects this blended urban-suburban character: kids come from across Queens, not just the immediate blocks. Seventeen percent of students have IEPs, and with an economic need index of 65.2, a substantial share of families rely on supports like free lunch.
Neighborhood
Bellerose is a stable, family-oriented Queens neighborhood with a median household income around $104,000 and a poverty rate of just 8.3% — well below city averages. About 23% of households have children, 70% are owner-occupied, and the median home value sits north of $637,000, signaling a long-term, rooted community. Just over 38% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher.
This school is car- or bus-dependent — there are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk. Families living outside driving range should plan for a longer commute, likely involving a bus transfer.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 126 families responded (12% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
Students interested in Medical careers can choose from classes in STEM Research, Anatomy, AP Biology, AP Calculus, Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, Forensics, Physics, AP Physics, AP Psychology, and CUNY College Now Biology, STEM Research, Algebra and Health. Partnerships include: NASA research, Wrigley Marine Science Center at USC, Cohen Hospital LIJ, DNA Learning Center, QCC Courses, Cornell Weil Medical School, and NY High School Pathways.
Students interested in Engineering, Robotics, or Computer fields take STEM classes in Engineering I and II and Robotics III and IV, along with options for Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Application, Computer Languages, Computer Science, Earth Science, Physics, AP Physics, and AP Calculus. Partnerships include: NYU-Polytechnic Institute and the First Robotics Competition; and UC-Berkeley Computer Science.
Students offered three-year tracks in Law, Art, or Music. Law classes in Criminal & Civil Justice, Constitutional Law, Mock Trial, Moot Court, Syracuse University Public Affairs & Personal Finance, AP Global, AP US History, and Model United Nations. Art sequences in Fashion, Cartooning, Graphic Design, and Commercial Art. Music ensembles include Piano, Orchestra, and Chorus. Partnerships include: Columbia University Law; CUNY John Jay; Cooper Union; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; and NYU Law.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. Martin Van Buren High School admits through 3 programs, and each one has its own admissions method:
- Engineering/Robotics and Design ProgramEd. Opt.68 seats
- Pre-Law and Leadership ProgramEd. Opt.100 seats
- Pre-Med/Pre-Nursing ProgramScreened68 seats
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Screened programs rank the 7th-grade core-course average, so last year's final grades are the ones that count.
- 3Educational Option programs fill in equal shares across three reading levels, half by the school's ranking and half by lottery.
- 4Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Martin Van Buren High School a good school?
- On Motley, Martin Van Buren High School earns an overall rating of 61/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does Martin Van Buren High School serve?
- Martin Van Buren High School serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into Martin Van Buren High School?
- Martin Van Buren High School is a screened school — it admits by application, ranking applicants on their course grades (4th grade for middle school, the 7th-grade core-course average for high school); a few schools add an assessment, writing sample, or interview.
- Is Martin Van Buren High School public, charter, or private?
- Martin Van Buren High School is a public school in NYC Community School District 26.
- What neighborhood is Martin Van Buren High School in?
- Martin Van Buren High School is in Bellerose, Queens.